Rings
by Rae D. Magdon
Summary: "I think," Alex said, her low voice imitating Olivia's purr, "that people began wearing wedding bands on their left hands because they used their right hand for more important things..." A/O oneshot, Magnetic Resistance universe.


**Pairing:** Alex/Olivia

**Spoilers:** None.

**AN:** A oneshot from the **Magnetic Resistance** universe, although you don't have to read that one first. It stands pretty well on its own.

...

**Rings:**

...

"Do you know why people wear wedding bands on their left hand?"

Olivia looked up from her paperwork, unsure what had prompted the comment from her half-asleep lover. Usually, their positions were reversed, with Olivia lying on the bed with an olive-skinned arm slung over her eyes to protect them from the light while Alex burned the midnight oil. This time, Olivia was the one finishing up some last minute forms before the 1-6's semi-annual audit.

"No earthly," she said, sticking her pencil behind her ear and leaning back against the headboard. Although she and Alex technically had a no-paperwork-in-bed rule on the books, the blonde never followed it unless Olivia insisted, citing that it was unhealthy for their sleeping habits. Tonight, she was making a hypocrite of herself. _The next time Elliot makes a joke about what Alex and I do in bed, I'll tell him he can watch us... catch up on our paperwork. Half the time, that's what we do in here anyway._

Olivia's mind wandered to the alternative, a slow smile curling across her lips. Although their marriage bed was no longer sacrosanct – laptops, cell phones, and comfortable but unflattering pajamas had made them forget its two purposes at times – the fact that the rest of the apartment had been "christened" on multiple occasions more than made up for the times when they did not put the bed to good use.

Alex, who was fiddling idly with her own wedding band, waited for Olivia to glance over at her again before continuing. "Off in daydream land, huh?" she chided, love and affection softening her tone. Liv shrugged, a little embarrassed at being caught in the middle of a particularly pleasant memory of having Alex from behind against the see-through glass door of the china cabinet. In fact, she still smiled whenever they brought it out to entertain guests.

Both of them were silent for a few minutes. Olivia had managed to write two more sentences, but Alex had a way of distracting her without even trying. The detective stretched, feeling the vertebrae in between her shoulders pop into place as she lifted her arms above her head. She was not oblivious to the appreciative glance that Alex gave her breasts as they were thrust forward, but the attorney did not comment and made no move to leave her side of the bed. The fact that Olivia even had a 'side of the bed' was debatable, since Alex was a fierce cuddler and always ended up on top of her or beneath her anyway.

Setting aside her laptop – which she had been using as a three thousand dollar lapboard – and paperwork, Olivia turned over to face Alex. "Fine, oh enlightened one, reveal to me the mysteries of the universe and tell me why people wear wedding rings on their left hands."

Deciding that this was an invitation, Alex scooted closer to the middle of the bed and in to Olivia's welcoming arms, kissing a warm cheek. "People believed," she said in her most studious voice (but which still seemed more like a 'naughty librarian' voice to Olivia), "that there was a vein here," she caressed Olivia's ring finger, just above her wedding band, and trailed her touch down the sensitive, baby-soft skin of her inner wrist, "leading directly to the heart in Medieval times."

"And the ring was supposed to do – what exactly? Transfer the love out of the ring and into the bloodstream like some kind of skin-based lead poisoning?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Stop being facetious."

With a snort, Olivia reached for the covers at the bottom of the bed. "Stop using big words. You are such a lawyer." Both of them knew it was a compliment rather than an insult and Alex was not offended.

"You know," she said, sliding her hands under the old white t-shirt that Olivia had donned and exploring deliciously naked brown skin, "I take a different view myself."

Olivia purred, arching into the touch like a spoiled cat that wanted attention. "Oh, you do?"

Alex nodded. "I do."

"Care to explain?" The detective's breath hitched when Alex's lips found her collarbone, sucking sharply in order to leave a bright purple mark as a reminder. The tips of her breasts hardened as she realized exactly what her wife – the word still sent a strange tingle of excitement along her spine whenever she thought it or spoke it – wanted.

"I think," Alex said, her low voice imitating Olivia's purr, "that people began wearing wedding bands on their _left _hands," she dragged the nails of the aforementioned hand down Olivia's side, making her shiver, "because they used their _right_ hand," she cupped a hand between Olivia's legs, cradling her possessively through the fabric of her underwear and smiling as she felt the result of her brief but intense attentions, "for more... important... things..."

Olivia's eyes, which had begun to cloud over with lust, immediately cleared at the sharp stabs of pleasure that sliced through her abdomen like a knifepoint. Alex had her number, all right. Only a few suggestive words, a carefully placed nip, and she was wet, swollen, and wanting... it was a power that only Alex had ever held – would ever hold – over her.

Her paperwork completely forgotten in favor of more interesting activities, Olivia pulled far enough away from Alex to wriggle out of her sleep shirt, wondering why she had bothered to put it on in the first place. Even in the middle of winter, she and Alex always ended up naked eventually. Once she had pulled the offending garment over her head, she shot Alex a look that clearly asked her why she wasn't doing the same.

"I was thinking more of a slow burn this time," Alex whispered, biting her lips to make them a brighter shade of red, more swollen, because she knew it drove Olivia crazy.

Despite the different ideas that they had on tempo, Olivia would be damned if she was going to wait to finish what Alex had started. Slow or fast was fine with her, but waiting was intolerable.

Without asking for permission – permission that she knew would always be given – she took Alex's lips in a fierce kiss, feeling the blonde tremble as their mouths slid together, tongues exploring familiar, welcoming territory. It was wonderful. So wonderful that it almost felt like a dream. It could be like that, sometimes, kissing Alex... years later, Olivia was still not used to it. She doubted that she would ever get used to it.

Her hands wandered, seeking out the strip of burning skin between the attorney's underwear and tank top, caressing Alex's hips. Getting in each other's way more than helping each other, between the two of them, they finally managed to pull off Alex's tank top, leaving Alex in a pair of bikini cut panties and Liv in a pair of tight boyshorts. Both garments were equally ruined and would need a thorough washing.

Nestling a thigh in between Alex's legs and positioning herself just above the swell of her round hip, Olivia hovered over her lover, her soul-mate, her wife, and dropped kisses over the classically beautiful face, starting with her lips and moving outwards, covering her nose, her cheeks, her chin, her forehead, her eyes, even her ears.

At the same time, a persistent hand crept down Alex's stomach, pausing briefly to caress her thighs before reaching its goal without too many detours. Alex moaned in to Olivia's mouth, welcoming the touch, pushing in to it much like Olivia had earlier. The detective's heart swelled with love (and a little bit of smug pride). After all, who wouldn't be smug if they reached between Alexandra Cabot's legs and plunged in to what felt like a river of wetness waiting just for them?

"The underwear," she growled, "has got to go."

"The defense has no objection to this motion."

"I think the prosecution has a variety of motions she'd like to try, and in a lot of different positions," Olivia teased, looping her fingers through the sides of Alex's panties and dragging them down long, smooth legs. Suspended briefly for a moment on one delicate ankle, they were quickly kicked off into a corner as Alex took her turn and removed Olivia's underwear as well.

At the same time, with a familiarity and ease that had only brought excitement and comfort instead of boredom over the years, quick fingers found each other, instinctively gliding over well-learned, sensitive areas. Olivia's touch teased Alex's entrance, dipping just inside and pulling back out with a long, slow, dragging motion, one that she liked to use to coax her lover closer to the edge without pushing her over. Alex's thumb found Olivia unerringly, dragging along both sides of the hard bundle and stroking it through its protective hood, not wanting the constant pressure to become too much. They knew each other because they belonged to each other.

Alex threw her head back as Olivia's left hand cupped the soft globe of her breast, shivering as the coolness of the metal band pressed into its side. The right hand working steadily between her legs, in addition to the new sensations coming from a wandering mouth which had begun paying attention to her other breast, was threatening to drive her to distraction.

Summoning every ounce of focus that she had left, focus that had served her well in the courtroom over the years, she concentrated on pleasing Olivia at the same time, wanting to share this with her, to give this to her. Her own left hand did not remain idle, stroking circles in between Olivia's shoulder blades and wandering down to the small of her back as a long leg wound around her waist and pulled her deeper, closer... she was rewarded with a long, deep groan and a quicker, rougher pace.

Finally, when Olivia sensed that she was absolutely aching for it, she pinched her lover with two fingers, milking the sensitive shaft, smiling against the skin of Alex's chest as she felt her jerk and shudder at the new stimulation. Alex exhaled slowly through her nose, blonde hair tossing over the pillow as she reached up and angled her wrist, easing inside of Olivia with a slow, deep stroke. An expertly timed switch. She smiled as well, loving the way that Olivia's inner muscles jumped and twitched around her hand.

They knew this dance, made experts by hundreds of repetitions, and yet it was still unbelievably magical when they let go for each other, baring their souls along with their bodies. One release was not enough, and they continued in unspoken agreement, their heartbeats quickening, their breathing shallow.

Gazing down into her lover's blue eyes, Olivia knew exactly what Alex needed this time and began whispering in her ear, choosing words that she knew would drive her lover over the edge. "Is this what you want, baby?" she cooed, her hand returning to Alex's entrance. "Me inside of you? Taking you. Claiming you. Having you and making you mine?"

"Yes..."

A beat of silence. "Then beg for it."

"Please..."

And since she had asked so nicely, Alex was rewarded, and the feel of velvet muscles tightening around Olivia's fingers was enough to send both of them spiraling down a second time. Alex had a thing about possessive words, and Olivia had a thing about seeing Alex's vulnerability. It was a formula that worked for both of them – only one of many volatile combinations.

They were good together, flexible, and familiar enough with each other to read exactly what the other needed – which changed depending on the day. Olivia couldn't remember when they had stopped using words to communicate what they wanted and simply relied on body language and emotion. On another night, Alex might have wanted Olivia cuffed to the headboard (or the reverse). But tonight, just the words were enough.

With a long, satisfied sigh, Olivia collapsed on top of Alex, not worrying about the extra weight that her wife was supporting and snuggling closer to the slick, warm body. Neither of them removed their hands.

"I wonder what Carmichael does with her ring," Olivia said dreamily, nuzzling into Alex's sweet-smelling blonde hair and breathing deep.

The body beneath hers stiffened. "Olivia Benson, you had _better_ not be thinking about Abbie Carmichael while you are inside of _me_," she said, removing her hand and giving Olivia's bottom a hard smack.

"Well, she's left handed, and a ring would – oh, never mind." Realizing that she was only digging herself into a deeper hole, Olivia decided to backpedal. "Lex, you are the love of my life, and I would never, ever dream of fantasizing about another woman while making love with you. I promise."

Fortunately for Olivia, Alex was used to her 'afterglow statements'. Although it only happened once in a while, Olivia had a track record of occasionally ruining the moment with an out-of-place statement. Once, she had even asked Alex what she thought Elliot's hair would look like if he grew out his buzz-cut. Although she would never admit it aloud, Alex found it rather endearing.

"I love you, even when you're trying to get out of trouble."

"I love you, too, Alex. And I'm sorry..."

Alex brushed off the apology, fully secure in her wife's love for her and her faithfulness (both of body and mind). "Oh hush. That mouth can be put to better uses than apologizing." Obediently, Olivia began a trail of kisses down her lover's neck, working her way past straining, sensitive nipples and pausing to drag her tongue over her stomach.

"Anyway, since Abbie's a leftie, and for her girl's sake, I hope she takes the ring off. The edge might hurt." Even though she could not see it, Alex sensed Olivia rolling her eyes. Soon, her own eyes were rolling back in her head as Olivia made her forget all about Abbie Carmichael, wedding rings, and (for a short time) her own name.


End file.
